Jaishankar Heads to China for First Time Since 2020 Clash to Attend Crucial SCO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

New Delhi (India) July 13: The Ministry of External Affairs said on Saturday that External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is going to China and Singapore from July 13 to 15.

According to the ministry, Jaishankar would meet with his counterpart and other leaders in Singapore. This meeting will be a part of their ongoing bilateral interactions.

Later, he will go to China to attend the Council of Foreign Ministers meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). The meeting is set for July 15 in Tianjin. It is anticipated that Jaishankar will also engage in bilateral discussions at the summit.

The Ministry of External Affairs said, “EAM will visit the People’s Republic of China to participate in the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (CFM) being held in Tianjin. EAM will also hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the CFM” in a statement.

Eyes on Tianjin Summit

China's Foreign Ministry stated that leaders of the bloc's permanent bodies and foreign ministers from member nations will meet at the SCO. The meeting is held to discuss cooperation and important regional and global concerns. 

The gathering will help in preparing the foundation for the SCO Leaders' Summit. It is anticipated to take place in Tianjin in early September.

The SCO meeting itself could present difficulties. At the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting last month, India refused to sign a unified statement. 

India did not sign as it failed to mention the terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives. One member, who is thought to be Pakistan, objected to India's clear condemnation of terrorism. The foreign ministers' meeting might result in a similar conflict. It would make Jaishankar's work much more difficult.

Border Heat Still Lingers

There are still tensions in spite of diplomatic attempts. China's recent trade moves have caused concern in New Delhi. The moves included the suspension or delay of important exports to India. The exports included fertilisers, rare earth magnets and tunnel boring machines for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project.

Beijing's continuous overt and covert backing for Pakistan is a major source of disagreement. It further strains relations. These difficult topics run the risk of overshadowing any beneficial discussion at the next SCO summit.

Doval-Wang Meet in Focus

The ministers were invited by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. He may potentially travel to India later this month to meet with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. The meeting is a part of the Special Representatives (SR) dialogue on the boundary dispute.

The appointed Special Representatives for India-China boundary negotiations are Wang and Doval. There have been 23 rounds of negotiations using this process so far. But the border problems have not been resolved.

China, Russia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus are among the ten Eurasian countries that make up the SCO. It is a political and security alliance. Later this year, the 25th SCO Heads of State Council Meeting is planned to take place in Tianjin.

Aadrika Tayal